Elegant Asparagus Mimosa Salad

When you’re cooking with ingredients at season’s peak you want to accent them and highlight them. That lends itself to easy recipes that don’t require a lot of time or ingredients.

Elegant Asparagus Mimosa Salad is a classic French dish. My husband and I lived in Paris for five years after school. We got engaged in Paris, married there, and had our sweet daughter there. Whenever I eat dishes such as this it transports me back to favorite memories.

As perfect as this dish pairs with the bubbly brunchtime cocktail this dish actually gets its name from the mimosa flower. The scattering of hard boiled eggs resembles the tiny white mimosa blossoms scattered across snow. It’s traditional to see this paired with asparagus, but you can also find it paired with various types of lettuce leaves.

While asparagus is completely the star of this recipe, the bright vinaigrette is the sunny pop that ties it all together. Red wine vinegar and tangy Dijon mustard create the perfect punch of flavor.

I love the versatility of this dish as much as I love how easy it is. You can serve this as a brunch side dish while also putting it on the table for Sunday dinner. And because this is a chilled salad you can also serve this at any picnic or backyard event!

This salad couldn’t be easier. It’s the ideal make ahead dish and the three components can easily be made the day before and assembled the next day.

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add your asparagus and let it boil for 3-5 minutes until it turns bright green. This process is called blanching.
• Remove the asparagus from the boiling water and immediately place it into a bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking process, locking in the color and keeping them crisp. Drain them from the water and thoroughly dry them.
• Separate the yolks from the whites of your eggs. Chop the whites and use a fork to gently break up the yolks.
• To prepare your vinaigrette add all of the ingredients to a jar and shake vigorously to emulsify and combine.
• To assemble your salad, arrange the blanched asparagus on a plate. Springle the eggs over the top. Dress with the vinaigrette.
• Garnish with your favorite fresh herbs such as chives or parsley. To add even more flavor and texture you can also add cheese and bacon.

Are you looking for more easy salad recipes? Make sure you check out my recipe for Marinated Mushroom Salad.